The Halifax Innovation District, an initiative of the Halifax Partnership, today announced a Green Delivery Service pilot project to support the prototyping process of three Halifax-based startups while at the same time supporting local retailers, encouraging Halifax residents to buy local, and reducing carbon emissions.

During the one-month pilot, local delivery startups Haligone and Kangaroo will use electric vehicles supplied by startup All EV Canada. Haligone will deliver non-perishable products for up to 25 retailers while Kangaroo will provide independent restaurants and customers in rural areas of the municipality with a platform for food delivery. Delivery and electric vehicle rental costs will be covered for the duration of the pilot.

“The Green Delivery pilot will provide both economic and environmental benefits and is an excellent demonstration of public, private and not-for-profit partners working together to support local businesses and startups during these challenging times,” says Wendy Luther, President and CEO of Halifax Partnership.

“It is intended that this will be the first of several green economy pilots that contribute to the Halifax Regional Municipality meeting both economic and climate goals,” said Jacques Dubé, Chief Administrative Officer, Halifax Regional Municipality. “The municipality is well positioned through the region’s innovative private sector companies, our climate action plan, HalifACT, and the Halifax Partnership to achieve an entrepreneurially-driven and green innovation economic recovery in our municipality and province.”

A wide range of partners have played a part in this pilot project including the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, North End Business Association, Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association, Spring Garden Area Business Association and the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission, the Halifax Regional Municipality, and the Clean Foundation. In addition, the Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), is supporting this project with a non-repayable contribution from the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF).

“The Government of Canada is pleased to partner with the Halifax Partnership to support local businesses during the pandemic,” said Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Halifax, on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages. “The Green Delivery Pilot is a great example of industry adopting clean technology in order to fight climate change and create a more sustainable economy.”

This pilot is an initiative of the Halifax Innovation Outpost - a partnership between the Halifax Regional Municipality, Halifax Partnership and the Province of Nova Scotia – which aims to address climate change and other social challenges while supporting startups and scaleups in testing and evolving their products and services with public, private, post-secondary and community partners.

PARTICIPANT QUOTES

“Haligone is proud to be a part of this incredible initiative by utilizing sustainable solutions and supporting local businesses. Our goal is to uberize local retail in Halifax. We will provide a same-day, sustainable delivery service within the Halifax Peninsula, Clayton Park, Bedford, and Dartmouth areas during the Green Delivery Service Pilot.” Canberk Bal, CEO and Co-founder, Haligone.

“With the explosive growth of mobile food delivery and the need to service rural communities, this electric vehicle provided by All EV and participation in this pilot reinforces Kangaroo’s brand DNA, focused on social and environmental responsibility while meeting the needs of underserved markets.” - Logan MacGillivray, Founder and CEO, Kangaroo.

“We are so pleased to be working with the Halifax Partnership in making a real difference in EV adoption. It’s great to see young companies so excited about pursuing electric vehicles as part of their future. This is a great start for Halifax and Nova Scotia, and we’re hoping more companies will make the shift.” - Jeff Farwell, Chief Executive Officer, All EV

Media Contacts:

Krista Juurlink
Director, Marketing Communications and Strategic Initiatives
Halifax Partnership
902-223-9170
kjuurlink@halifaxpartnership.com

Chris Brooks
Director, Communications and Outreach
ACOA Nova Scotia
902-830-3839
chris.brooks@canada.ca

Klara Needler
Public Affairs Advisor
Halifax Regional Municipality
902-476-6382
needlek@halifax.ca

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Halifax Partnership/Halifax Innovation District

Halifax Partnership is Halifax’s public-private economic development organization. The Partnership drives and accelerates economic growth by selling and marketing Halifax to the world, helping businesses reach their full potential and tracking Halifax’s economic progress. Halifax Partnership is leading the advancement of the Halifax Innovation District - with support from the Province of Nova Scotia and Halifax Regional Municipality and in collaboration with public, private and post-secondary partners - to increase the number of viable startups and scaleups in Halifax and to strengthen our city’s innovation ecosystem. Learn more at www.halifaxpartnership.com and www.halifaxinnovationdistrict.com.

Halifax Regional Municipality – HalifACT

HalifACT is the climate action movement for the Halifax Regional Municipality. It's the municipality’s community response to the climate crisis that will build a more resilient and healthy future in Atlantic Canada while preparing for current and future climate impacts. HalifACT provides a roadmap for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and a 75 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, and is one of the most ambitious climate action movements in Canada. In June 2020, HalifACT was approved unanimously by Council and all key external stakeholders. Read the plan at Halifax.ca/climate.

Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

ACOA works to create opportunities for economic growth in Atlantic Canada by: helping businesses become more competitive, innovative and productive; working with various communities to develop and diversify local economies; and championing the strengths of Atlantic Canada. Together, with Atlantic Canadians, ACOA is building a stronger economy. For more information, visit canada.ca/acoa-apeca.

Kangaroo

Kangaroo is a mobile food delivery app founded by Acadia University student, Logan MacGillivray. After a successful BETA test in Wolfville last year, the service launched in October 2020 in Antigonish and Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and Sackville and Fredericton, New Brunswick. In addition to Tantallon, it will soon roll out to other regions across Canada and the USA. Using an innovative algorithm, Kangaroo brings mobile food delivery to areas where such a service is not currently available. The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. For more information, visit www.orderkangaroo.com.

Haligone

Haligone is Halifax's very own local, same-day delivery service created to fulfill local retailers' needs. Haligone leverages the power of tech to minimize the time and effort local businesses spend on getting products to customers. Our goal is to encourage the community to shop locally by providing a fast, sustainable delivery service. By operating in Halifax Peninsula, Clayton Park, Bedford, and Dartmouth, Haligone aims to uber-ize local retail and make local shopping more convenient than ever. www.haligone.com

All EV

All EV Canada Inc. is the Canadian leader of electric vehicle education, sales, and products through our trusted network of EV centers. We offer a wide selection of certified pre-owned electric vehicles that range in price and carry a variety of EV accessories and charge stations. Our knowledgeable team of EV Educators is on hand to answer any questions you may have and to help you choose the right EV for your lifestyle. https://www.allev.ca/